python-sonic - Programming Music with Python, Sonic Pi or Supercollider

Python-Sonic is a simple Python interface for Sonic Pi, which is a real great music software created by Sam Aaron (http://sonic-pi.net).

At the moment Python-Sonic is in pre-pre-alpha status. It is planned, that it will work with Supercollider, too.

If you like it, use it. If you have some suggestions, tell me (gkvoelkl@nelson-games.de).

But no debugging now or help on how to install it on your system.

Installation

• First you need Python 3 (https://www.python.org, ) - Python 3.4 should work, because it's the development environment
• Then Sonic Pi (https://sonic-pi.net) - That makes the sound
• Modul python-osc (https://pypi.python.org/pypi/python-osc) - Connection between Python and Sonic Pi Server
• And this modul python-sonic - simply copy the source, no setup available at the moment

Limitations

• You have to start Sonic Pi first before you can use it with python-sonic
• Only the notes from C2 to C6

Examples

Many of the examples are inspired from the help menu in Sonic Pi.

from psonic import *

The first sound

play(70) #play MIDI note 70

Some more notes

play(72)
sleep(1)
play(75)
sleep(1)
play(79) 

In more tratitional music notation

play(C5)
sleep(0.5)
play(D5)
sleep(0.5)
play(G5) 

Play sharp notes like F# or dimished ones like Eb

play(Fs5)
sleep(0.5)
play(Eb5)

Play louder (parameter amp) or from a different direction (parameter pan)

play(72,amp=2)
sleep(0.5)
play(74,pan=-1) #left

Different synthesizer sounds

use_synth(SAW)
play(38)
sleep(0.25)
play(50)
sleep(0.5)
use_synth(PROPHET)
play(57)
sleep(0.25)

ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release) Envelope

play (60, attack=0.5, decay=1, sustain_level=0.4, sustain=2, release=0.5) 
sleep(4)

Play some samples

sample(AMBI_LUNAR_LAND, amp=0.5)

sample(LOOP_AMEN,pan=-1)
sleep(0.877)
sample(LOOP_AMEN,pan=1)

sample(LOOP_AMEN,rate=0.5)

sample(LOOP_AMEN,rate=1.5)

sample(LOOP_AMEN,rate=-1)#back

sample(DRUM_CYMBAL_OPEN,attack=0.01,sustain=0.3,release=0.1)

sample(LOOP_AMEN,start=0.5,finish=0.8,rate=-0.2,attack=0.3,release=1)

Play some random notes

import random

for i in range(5):
    play(random.randrange(50, 100))
    sleep(0.5)

for i in range(3):
    play(random.choice([C5,E5,G5]))
    sleep(1)

An infinite loop and if

while True:
  if one_in(2):
    sample(DRUM_HEAVY_KICK)
    sleep(0.5)
  else:
    sample(DRUM_CYMBAL_CLOSED)
    sleep(0.25)

If you want to hear more than one sound at a time, use Threads.

from psonic import *
from threading import Thread

def bass_sound():
    c = Chord(E3, M7)
    while True:
        use_synth(PROPHET)
        play(c.choose(), release=0.6)
        sleep(0.5)

def snare_sound():
    while True:
        sample(ELEC_SNARE)
        sleep(1)

bass_thread = Thread(target=bass_sound)
snare_thread = Thread(target=snare_sound)

bass_thread.start()
snare_thread.start()

while True:
    pass

Every function bass_sound and snare_sound have its own thread. Your can hear them running.

from psonic import *
from threading import Thread, Condition
from random import choice

def random_riff(condition):
    use_synth(PROPHET)
    sc = scale(E3, MINOR)
    while True:
        s = random.choice([0.125,0.25,0.5])
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        for i in range(8):
            r = random.choice([0.125, 0.25, 1, 2])
            n = random.choice(sc)
            co = random.randint(30,100)
            play(n, release = r, cutoff = co)
            sleep(s)

def drums(condition):
    while True:
        with condition:
            condition.notifyAll() #Message to threads
        for i in range(16):
            r = random.randrange(1,10)
            sample(DRUM_BASS_HARD, rate=r)
            sleep(0.125)

condition = Condition()
random_riff_thread = Thread(name='consumer1', target=random_riff, args=(condition,))
drums_thread = Thread(name='producer', target=drums, args=(condition,))

random_riff_thread.start()
drums_thread.start()

input("Press Enter to continue...")

To synchronize the thread, so that they play a note at the same time, you can use Condition. One function sends a message with condition.notifyAll the other waits until the message comes condition.wait.

Play a list of notes

from psonic import *

play ([64, 67, 71], amp = 0.3) 
sleep(1)
play ([E4, G4, B4])
sleep(1)

Play chords

play(chord(E4, MINOR)) 
sleep(1)
play(chord(E4, MAJOR))
sleep(1)
play(chord(E4, MINOR7))
sleep(1)
play(chord(E4, DOM7))
sleep(1)

Play arpeggios

play_pattern( chord(E4, 'm7')) 
play_pattern_timed( chord(E4, 'm7'), 0.25) 
play_pattern_timed(chord(E4, 'dim'), [0.25, 0.5]) 

Play scales

play_pattern_timed(scale(C3, MAJOR), 0.125, release = 0.1) 
play_pattern_timed(scale(C3, MAJOR, num_octaves = 2), 0.125, release = 0.1) 
play_pattern_timed(scale(C3, MAJOR_PENTATONIC, num_octaves = 2), 0.125, release = 0.1)

Live Loop

One of the best in SONIC PI is the Live Loop. While a loop is playing music you can change it and hear the change. Let's try it in Python, too.

from psonic import *
from threading import Thread

def my_loop():
  play(60)
  sleep(1)

def looper():
  while True:
    my_loop()

looper_thread = Thread(name='looper', target=looper)

looper_thread.start()

input("Press Enter to continue...")

Press Enter to continue...y





'y'

Now change the function my_loop und you can hear it.

def my_loop():
  use_synth(TB303)
  play (60, release= 0.3)
  sleep (0.25)

def my_loop():
  use_synth(TB303)
  play (chord(E3, MINOR), release= 0.3)
  sleep(0.5)

def my_loop():
    use_synth(TB303)
    sample(DRUM_BASS_HARD, rate = random.uniform(0.5, 2))
    play(random.choice(chord(E3, MINOR)), release= 0.2, cutoff=random.randrange(60, 130))
    sleep(0.25)

To stop the sound you have to end the kernel. In IPython with Kernel --> Restart

Now with two live loops which are synch.

from psonic import *
from threading import Thread, Condition
from random import choice

def loop_foo():
  play (E4, release = 0.5)
  sleep (0.5)


def loop_bar():
  sample (DRUM_SNARE_SOFT)
  sleep (1)
    

def live_loop_1(condition):
    while True:
        with condition:
            condition.notifyAll() #Message to threads
        loop_foo()
            
def live_loop_2(condition):
    while True:
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        loop_bar()

condition = Condition()
live_thread_1 = Thread(name='producer', target=live_loop_1, args=(condition,))
live_thread_2 = Thread(name='consumer1', target=live_loop_2, args=(condition,))

live_thread_1.start()
live_thread_2.start()

input("Press Enter to continue...")

Press Enter to continue...y





'y'

def loop_foo():
  play (A4, release = 0.5)
  sleep (0.5)

def loop_bar():
  sample (DRUM_HEAVY_KICK)
  sleep (0.125)

If would be nice if we can stop the loop with a simple command. With stop event it works.

from psonic import *
from threading import Thread, Condition, Event

def loop_foo():
  play (E4, release = 0.5)
  sleep (0.5)


def loop_bar():
  sample (DRUM_SNARE_SOFT)
  sleep (1)
    

def live_loop_1(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.notifyAll() #Message to threads
        loop_foo()
            
def live_loop_2(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        loop_bar()



condition = Condition()
stop_event = Event()
live_thread_1 = Thread(name='producer', target=live_loop_1, args=(condition,stop_event))
live_thread_2 = Thread(name='consumer1', target=live_loop_2, args=(condition,stop_event))


live_thread_1.start()
live_thread_2.start()

input("Press Enter to continue...")

Press Enter to continue...y





'y'

stop_event.set()

More complex live loops

sc = Ring(scale(E3, MINOR_PENTATONIC))

def loop_foo():
  play (next(sc), release= 0.1)
  sleep (0.125)

sc2 = Ring(scale(E3,MINOR_PENTATONIC,num_octaves=2))
           
def loop_bar():
  use_synth(DSAW)
  play (next(sc2), release= 0.25)
  sleep (0.25)

Now a simple structure with four live loops

import random
from psonic import *
from threading import Thread, Condition, Event

def live_1():
    pass

def live_2():
    pass
    
def live_3():
    pass

def live_4():
    pass

def live_loop_1(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.notifyAll() #Message to threads
        live_1()
            
def live_loop_2(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        live_2()

def live_loop_3(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        live_3()

def live_loop_4(condition,stop_event):
    while not stop_event.is_set():
        with condition:
            condition.wait() #Wait for message
        live_4()
        
condition = Condition()
stop_event = Event()
live_thread_1 = Thread(name='producer', target=live_loop_1, args=(condition,stop_event))
live_thread_2 = Thread(name='consumer1', target=live_loop_2, args=(condition,stop_event))
live_thread_3 = Thread(name='consumer2', target=live_loop_3, args=(condition,stop_event))
live_thread_4 = Thread(name='consumer3', target=live_loop_3, args=(condition,stop_event))

live_thread_1.start()
live_thread_2.start()
live_thread_3.start()
live_thread_4.start()

input("Press Enter to continue...")

Press Enter to continue...y





'y'

After starting the loops you can change them

def live_1():
    sample(BD_HAUS,amp=2)
    sleep(0.5)
    pass

def live_2():
    #sample(AMBI_CHOIR, rate=0.4)
    #sleep(1)
    pass

def live_3():
    use_synth(TB303)
    play(E2, release=4,cutoff=120,cutoff_attack=1)
    sleep(4)

def live_4():
    notes = scale(E3, MINOR_PENTATONIC, num_octaves=2)
    for i in range(8):
        play(random.choice(notes),release=0.1,amp=1.5)
        sleep(0.125)

And stop.

stop_event.set()

More Examples

from psonic import *

#Inspired by Steve Reich Clapping Music

clapping = [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0]

for i in range(13):
    for j in range(4):
        for k in range(12): 
          if clapping[k] ==1 : sample(DRUM_SNARE_SOFT,pan=-0.5)
          if clapping[(i+k)%12] == 1: sample(DRUM_HEAVY_KICK,pan=0.5)
          sleep (0.25)

More Informations

Sonic Pi

..

OSC

..

MIDI

..

Sources

Joe Armstrong: Connecting Erlang to the Sonic Pi http://joearms.github.io/2015/01/05/Connecting-Erlang-to-Sonic-Pi.html

Joe Armstrong: Controlling Sound with OSC Messages http://joearms.github.io/2016/01/29/Controlling-Sound-with-OSC-Messages.html

..